Aristophanes, Knights
Eugene O'Neill, Jr., Ed.

Cleon
[790] > Never had Demos a defender or a friend more devoted than myself; on my head, on my life, I swear it!

Sausage-Seller
You pretend to love him and for eight years you have seen him housed in casks, in crevices and dovecots, where he is blinded with the smoke, and you lock him in without pity; [795] Archeptolemus brought peace and you tore it to ribbons; the envoys who come to propose a truce you drive from the city with kicks in their arses.

Cleon
The purpose of this is that Demos may rule over all the Greeks; for the oracles predict that, if he is patient, he must one day sit as judge in Arcadia at five obols per day. Meanwhile, I will nourish him, [800] look after him and, above all, I will ensure to him his three obols.

Sausage-Seller
No, little you care for his reigning in Arcadia, it's to pillage and impose on the allies at will that you reckon; you wish the war to conceal your rogueries as in a mist, that Demos may see nothing of them, and harassed by cares, may only depend on yourself for his bread. [805] But if ever peace is restored to him, if ever he returns to his lands to comfort himself once more with good cakes, to greet his cherished olives, he will know the blessings you have kept him out of, even though paying him a salary; and, filled with hatred and rage, he will rise, burning with desire to vote against you. You know this only too well; it is for this you rock him to sleep with your lies.

Cleon
[810] Is it not shameful, that you should dare thus to calumniate me before Demos, me, to whom Athens, I swear it by Demeter, already owes more than it ever did to Themistocles?

Sausage-Seller
declaiming
Oh! citizens of Argos, do you hear what he says?

to Cleon
You dare to compare yourself to Themistocles, who found our city half empty and left it full to overflowing, [815] who one day gave us the Piraeus for dinner, and added fresh fish to all our usual meals. You, on the contrary, you, who compare yourself with Themistocles, have only sought to reduce our city in size, to shut it within its walls, to chant oracles to us. And Themistocles goes into exile, while you gorge yourself on the most excellent fare

Cleon
[820] Oh! Demos! Am I compelled to hear myself thus abused, and merely because I love you?

Demos
Silence! stop your abuse! All too long have I been your dupe.

Sausage-Seller
Ah! my dear little Demos, he is a rogue who has played you many a scurvy trick;